A mail boat called the J.W. Westcott II is used by the US Postal Service and has its own zip code: 48222. The boat is used to deliver mail to other ships on the Detroit River, and is the only floating post office in the world that delivers mail to moving ships. In 1895, the floating post office began ferrying mail to passing ships via rowboat, then updated to a 45 foot (14 m) ship in 1949. All mail can be delivered to crews on ships traveling on the Detroit River by being addressed "Vessel Name, Marine Post Office, Detroit, Michigan, 48222."
More about zip codes:
- Zip codes are used by other delivery companies such as FedEx, United Parcel Service (UPS), and DHL.
- Zip codes are used to gather geographical statistics in the US, as well as marketing to provide purchasing-pattern data.
- The US Postal Service started using two-digit zip codes for large cities in 1943. By 1983, the postal service started to use expanded zip codes called "ZIP + 4" in order to identify certain segments within the general zip code area.